why use a strobe?

[hantzu701]

newbie question (not a troll):

Is it worth $50+ USD to buy a strobe? What kind of criteria do you use to buy something like this?

Is this one of those just in case items that is bought out of fear or is there really a need for it?

Hantzu

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I will use a strobe to mark the ascent line at the bottom. In poor vis it usually doubles the distance at which you can see the line and makes the navigation a little less demanding, a good idea if you have less experienced divers in the group.

I will use one on my dive flag to assist the boat in tracking me on a live boat night dive.

Some divers will attach them to their tank valve etc, in place of a glow stick or other type of marker light on night dives. But when attached to a diver, strobes are just plain annoying at best and at worst ensure all the other diver's night vision is trashed on a recurrent basis.

You can also use them on the surface at night to assist the boat in locating you if you drift off (They are much less effective during the day) and that is often used as a "saftey" reason to carry one.

 

[SubMariner]

When used properly, strobes are invaluable tools. I can't tell you how many times I've used them to mark entry/exit points at night, or put one on the down line in poor vis.

I also agree that they are NOT a substitute for a PLL (Personal Locator Light) as they are far too bright & distracting. :nono: